Daily driver status-sellout or necessary?

I wanted something really good on gas, CHEAP monthlys, and storage enough for 4 wheels and tires. If it fit that, it'd fit anything I need for my shop's needs. So, I looked at everything. I got the Toyota Matrix. 25/31MPG and lots of storage in back. PS-made in Fremont Cal

 

Put a fiberglass 40 Ford front end on it with some vinyl graphic flames...90% will never know the difference

For what its worth. I recently sold my '98 chev pickup daily, and bought a used '07 fullsize chev that is flex fuel (gas or E85). E85 is .75 a gallon cheaper, but the mileage is worse)at least it was on the first tank I checked....Net savings is exactly zero.

 

That's pretty funny

 

At least it wasn't a Pontiac Vibe right? What a strange irony... Americans building cars for a Japanese company on American soil. Toyota historically makes a fine product... so I guess I can't fault you for that decision.

Can we officially call you a "tuner-dood" or "ricer-boy" now though???

 

Go to MSNBC's website for a story on oil prices from today. We may have started to turn the corner to a little bit of price relief.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12400801/

M McF.

 

I never really gave much thought to having a company supplied car and gas card. Ive had it this way for close to 30 years. All of a sudden its a huge ass perk.

Gas is crazy and people are going to do what they feel is right for them. Because of the perceived history of American car reliability and mileage the Japanese manufacturers are going to come out ahead on this one...Even if some of their cars are built in the USA

 

My "import" was made in Fremont, CA.

 

OK, I'll admit I don't drive mine near as much as you do every day. I average 100 - 125 miles a week. With my mileage, and the price of gas 3.75 - 3.80 here, My gas bill is $100.00 a month. I spend almost twice that on my smokes! I'll give up those first.....

 

I'm sorry , I just can't relate ... 7.20 a gal , LS1 daily. And in the UK its 11.00 a gal ...

 

desperate time - desperate measures, we all gotta make some kinda sacrifice now and then right?, i however have sworn not to jump ship and still drive my old cars regardless of petrol prices ($6+ a gallon here). dont fuss to much over it groucho, youve probably emptied more juice into cars than alot of us in your years and driven the cars alot harder also.

 

2006 scion xb, daily driver, its ugly, screams down the highway at 60 mph at 6000 rpm, can barely get out of its own way with 4 people in it, at the cost of 16k and still owe 5k, it gets good gas mileage but its so ugly and uncomfortable and with a handyman service its hard to put anything in it, so im switching to a 50s chevy truck with a 350 i have and just going to keep my foot off the gas pedal. gas is going to keep climbing but theres something about payments, ugliness, a tiny car with little room for hauling a greasy engine, and having to let some other guy younger then me at a dealership work on it just plain bugs me, id rather pay extra in gas and be able to adjust a carb myself. with the money i spent on it, 16k.....i coulda had my dream car, a barely running 55 but my dream car still. and now selling the xb ill lose my ass on it........lesson learned. i cant affrd payments now anyways

 

i think your definition of "hot rod" is too narrow.

a hot rod doesn't HAVE to have 8 cylinders and a venturi to feed each one premium gas.

build a 60's compact, falcon or whatever. i KNOW you can build a cool one. run a modern fuel injected turbocharged 4 banger and get some great mileage, still go like shit and be a helluva lot cooler than a new toyota.

 

Why isn't driving old cars considered "green"? In my book it is the ultimate form of conservation. A properly maintained and with a few moderization modifications ( EFI, hei ignition, and better gearing.) You can make just about any old car as efficiant and clean running as a new car.

Buying new cars depletes natural reasorces much more then your old car could use up in our life time. Why doesn't anyone promote this form of recycling?

 

decker has a point, my grandfather too. but, like many, i got a good deal from a guy i know at a dealership for the car and figured itd be dependable and great on gas, but after the logging, my 65 catalina and 389 may have been killing me on gas but i get goosebumps every single time i drive that car. its worth it to me. i thought i was doing the right thing by selling my huge lifted up tacoma 4 cyl on 38's and getting something better on gas as i was doing alot of driving at the time, but now that work is slooooowww and i dont ever ever ever hit the highway, why do i need 200 a month payments i cant afford and send all my money back to japan. it is a true japan made scion too, they make good cars, but it wont be worth crap in 6 years, if i get an old 50's truck, that i like more, much more, and put some money into, thats helping preserve our history, id be saving more vintage tin getting lots of fun times and thumbs up and going to car shows and a 06 xb wont fit in at car shows, and itll be a long while till my 65 and 52 are back on the road, a long while.

id keep the gp and just stay off the go pedal. hell, nowadays i literally idle around sometimes, i get honks hahaha, but i have a leadfoot that gets the best of me at some lights i punch it abit so i try to even it out hahahahahah. the scion is great on gas, but if i get a job close enough to home, id rather ride my old 80's bmx bike or skate there on my 1983 powell peralta ripper board..............save on gas that way. just like being in high school again.

 

My '65 Falcon has the factory 289, and it gets great mileage. I can drive it to my studio every day, run errands, and still only fill it up once every two weeks.

I have been driving the Model A less these days; that one eats up the gas.

 

****************************************************
Pintos are great little Bomb around town cars
I had a 76 wagon for awhile loved it
and www.racerwalsh.com has speed equip for them

 

My wife has a 03 Vibe..been great car..90K so far no problems..over 30 in town. My 94 Tahoe doesn't get driven so much anymore..
I ride my motorcycles more..35-40 even with the 1800cc twin.
Son has an old Saturn SC2..185,000 just killed. I found another with 60K for $3500..
I save enough on gas to keep the JAG in 93. Now at 5000 miles and dialed in getting 18+ even playing..
2400 lbs..LT1..carbed and 3.54 gears..
110-115 degree days ahead..sure liked the AC in the Tahoe...

 

it is a sellout choce:

economy wise maybe a bit cheaper
math wise your payments are less than the gas you spend
in the 67 but you still have to put gas in the yoda. not as much
but if you put the extra insurance plus the payment plus the gas

ill almost be willing to bet that you dont save too much
at least to me NOT enough to make it worth

SELLING OUT

600 a month to drive around in the "projected self image" car
of my choice, not too bad, or 535 a month in a "toy"ota. i will take the bus
before i make that choice myself

buy a 60's gmc truck with a 235 six slam it put a 66 mustang under
dash a/c in it. stock heater should work. reversed chrome smoothies
and www's paint it flat black and it would cost you 5000 on the
high side. same gas mileage as the yoda and your payments for
36 months @ 6% would be 140 bucks and best of all you take that
1500 you put down and you keep it so you can afford to bring your
little hot rod truck out to the round up stay at the san jose kick back
have some drinks with friends watch the cars and listen to the music.

NOW THATS HOT ROD ECONOMICS 101!!!

 

4,50 a gallon?? we pay fucking 11,50 per gallon in switzerland . Still never thought about to drive a new car.
but dont get me wrong i can understand how pissed you guys must feel.

 

a toyota?? jesus you could have at least bought american who gives a crap where its built-the profits still go to japan! a sad -sad day! groucho i thought you would be the last person on earth to drive a RICER!!!!

 

I have one available

 

Now that I've seen the math stack up, there was a hot rodder's solution to your problem.

Take the 10K, buy a real nice low mile intercooled GN. Drive it everywhere for 3 years at 28mpg highway doing nothing other than routine maintenance and burning 4 pairs of rear tires off the thing. Sell it for half of what you got in it. Walk away with 5k in pocket and 3 years of driving something non-HAMB but still very cool.

 

For what you are going to spend on that Toyota could could have possibly built a early sedan with a 4cyl. Thats assuming you did all the work yourself

 

Well, what really is an "American" car anymore? Toyotas and Hondas are built here by dues paying members of the UAW. When I worked in the parts dep't of a local Ford dealer, I saw "Made in. . . ." every single country in the world on those boxes the parts came in.

My daily is an '02 Mustang, 3.8L V6 and five-speed that gets something on the north side of 20mpg. It's fun to drive, looks good, and while not H.A.M.B. material, it's a darn sight cooler than a 4-door Nissan or mini-van. I used to use the '95 Ford F-250 we have with the 7.3L diesel in lousy weather so the Mustang stayed clean. But at $4.60/gal for diesel fuel, it's staying parked.

Getting back to hot rods, just last night I was looking at Edelbrock's "new" low compression heads for my flathead. (Part number 1116, 74cc chambers) They say these new heads will allow running on regular gas. But at over $500 a set, with only driving the roadster for pleasure, it would take years to make up the difference.

 

I was going to stay out of this one tills ome one else brought it up. Yes some Toyotas and Hondas are built here in the USA, but the money still goes back to Japan. The car company pays taxes on that income in Japan. The tax money pays for Japan's roads to be fixed, Japans health care and whatever else Japan uses tax money for.

If you would have bought a car from an American conmpany the money would stay in America. Better yet, if you would have bought a smaller fuel efficient older car(Corvair, early Nova, Falcon or whatever you would pick) your money would go to help some poor sap that had to sell his car to support his family.

 

Thats one thing think people usually dont think about is leasing it longer than the warranty. If your out of warranty you have to pay to have it fixed, or they will send you a bill for the repairs when you turn it in. There is no shame in getting a daily driver, I drive a dumb little 87 VW and it gets 25 mpg and it only cost me 500.00. I dont have to impress anyone on my way to work, and it gives me more money to get my new project started. When I drove my galaxie everyday it was almost 100 bucks a week. Thats a lot of money just to let my car sit in a parking lot all day.

 

Yep !!!!

 

Yep.

 

Wow, us Texans think alike. Must watch too much King of the Hill.

 

$5-600 a month in gas is an awful lot for someone that don't gotta be nowhere. There's your problem.

Are you sure you're turning the Pontiac off at night?

Just sayin'